Update for May 14  20, 2007

Epcot Vice President Brad Rex steps down

Vice President of Epcot Brad Rex, who was interviewed on Episode 4 of the MouseStation podcast, has left the company after 12 years to become the Executive Vice President of Hilton Grand Vacations, a timeshare company owned by Hilton Hotels.

Rex's replacement, Jim MacPhee, is a 29-year Disney veteran who had previously been Walt Disney World's Vice President of Park Operations Line of Business for the last three years. In that role, he was responsible for various pieces of entertainment, attractions, vacation planning, ticketing and guest communications. MacPhee started his Disney career in 1978 as an hourly Watercraft Cast Member.

According to Disney spokeswoman Kim Prunty, MacPhee is still in the process of transitioning into his role, and will likely make his plans for the park as a whole known after he has a chance to settle in. In other words, we'll have to wait to see if the replacement of Rex has any effect on the previous non-plans for Epcot's 25th anniversary this October 1.

Dining shuffle at Disney's Animal Kingdom

Those who have been hungering for a sit-down restaurant at Disney's Animal Kingdom will soon have not one, but two to choose from. We've known for a while that the Yak & Yeti Restaurant will be opening later this year (likely this summer), but the new news coming from the park is that Tusker House is closing on August 20 and reopening on November 17 as a buffet service restaurant, featuring a character breakfast. The Kusafiri Coffee Shop will be open when Tusker House reopens, but only the outside window will be in operation. The new buffet-service version of Tusker House will be open from 8-10:30 a.m. for Donald's Safari Breakfast, and from 11:30 a.m. to park close for lunch and dinner.

With the opening of the new character breakfast at Tusker House, the Donald's Breakfastosaurus character meal ends after November 5. Restaurantosaurus will continue to serve lunch.

While the new Yak & Yeti and the conversion of Tusker House will provide Disney's Animal Kingdom with some much-needed table-service dining, the change also means that the park will also be down to three counter-service restaurants, none near the back of the park. With Restaurantosaurus in Dinoland, U.S.A., Flame Tree Barbecue on the east side of Discovery Island and Pizzafari on the southwesterly side of Discovery Island, there will be no counter-service options in Africa or Asia. Those looking for a quick sit-down meal will need to come back to the front section of the park. We'll have to wait to see if new counter-service options open in Africa or Asia.

Disney Magic on its way to Europe for the summer

The Disney Magic departed on Saturday on the Disney Cruise Line's first-ever Trans-Atlantic cruise. Upon its arrival in Barcelona, the Magic begins a series of eight 10- and 11-night cruises over 12 weeks before crossing back to the United States with another two-week repositioning cruise departing August 18.

MousePlanet's Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix is on board the Magic for the two-week outgoing repositioning cruise, and you can expect her to file a report when she returns.

Disney and union come to agreement

Walt Disney World has finally reached an agreement with the Service Trades Council Union, the umbrella group that coordinates bargaining for six unions that together make up over half of Disney's employees in Florida. The 21,000 full-time cast members represented by STCU (the union group also covers another 8,000 part-timers) will have a chance to vote on the proposed three-year contract on Friday. The existing contract has been extended until next Monday.

One of the six member unions of the STCU, however, doesn't agree with the deal. International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 385, representing bus operators, parking attendants, ranch hands, and laundry workers as well as the character department, is not recommending the contract to its members. The chief objections by the Teamsters center around too-small pay increases for those at the top of their pay grade and too large a share of health care costs being paid by employees.

Cast members not at the top of their pay grade will receive an increase of 4 to 5 percent each year, while those at top of grade will receive a 2 percent raise (or 25 cents per hour, whichever is greater) this September, 2.25 percent (or 30 cents per hour) in 2008 and 3 percent (or 45 cents per hour) in 2009. In effect, those not at top of grade will close the gap at a decreasing rate each year.

Disney provides a choice of health plans, and pays a set percentage of the coverage cost regardless of the salary of the employee. The amount that the company can increase the charge to employees for HMO coverage is capped each year in set dollar amounts.

Admission, training, discounts and other benefits are all being continued. A full rundown of the agreement is available at the STCU Web site.

Get your MousePlanet swag!

The MousePlanet.com store is now open for business (link)! You can get shirts, mugs, hats and even a Teddy Bear! Check it out and show your MousePlanet pride! Now you can show everybody in the parks what site you read!

Readers respond on smoking ban

And they wrote... And they wrote... And they wrote... The deluge.

We asked you to respond with your opinions of Disney's decision to make smoking off-limits in all Walt Disney World lodging owned and operated by Disney, including all DVC resorts, and boy did you ever! More e-mail has come in on this topic than any other since we have been publishing the Update. So far, we've had responses from 45 non-smokers and 11 smokers, meaning that smokers make up 20 percent of the response. That's a big difference from the 3.5 percent of hotel rooms reserved for smokers.

The biggest issue for smokers was the ability to smoke on balconies and patios. They said that they could understand not being able to smoke in the room, but questioned how their smoking outside their room could affect anyone. Some non-smokers applauded the balcony/patio smoking ban, complaining that drifting cigarette smoke had made it impossible for them to use their balcony due to reactions to the smoke.

Either way, it'a apparent that there is still plenty of animosity on both sides of the argument. Many non-smokers complained of smokers not restricting their lighting-up to the designated smoking areas, while smokers complained of being shunted off to the hinterlands to engage in their pastime.

A portion of the letters will be printed in an upcoming mailbag column. Thanks to everyone who has responded! We appreciate you taking the time to share your opinions with us. For those that wish to engage in our online conversation rather than submitting e-mail, the topic is being discussed in this MousePad thread.

Cleaning up the base of Spaceship Earth

According to paperwork filed with Orange County by Walt Disney World last Thursday, they will "remove the Leave a Legacy Icon from the base of Spaceship Earth." The Leave a Legacy sales kiosk at the west side of the entry courtyard will also be dismantled.

Now, before you get all excited (or disappointed) that the Leave a Legacy stones themselves will be coming down, the "icon" that they are referring to is actually the location surrounding the mirrored support column where you can look up the location of your Leave a Legacy image. The stones are likely to remain standing until at least 2009.

While the images were guaranteed to remain on display at Epcot until at least 2019 or 2024 (at least, that's what was promised back in October 1999), there was no guarantee as to where in Epcot they would be displayed. In any case, there are no near-term plans to remove them and any long-term plans would need to retain them on display in some form or another for some time.

As part of this demolition work, the Pal Mickey transmitters will be relocated to walls on either side of Spaceship Earth.

Goodbye, Miss Jobson

The long-promised changes to the storyline of Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney's Animal Kingdom are now in process. Work is winding down on adding the ninth row of seats to the loading docks and the trucks, and the cast is in the process of learning the new script. Some trucks are currently using the new script and some are still using the old one. The story line featuring Miss Jobson will officially retire completely on June 1. The finale scene changes are in process and the plane may be removed at any time, as Disney filed paperwork with Orange County last Monday to "extend existing fiber and power for prop relocation" for the finale scene.

Menus wanted!

Want to help MousePlanet upgrade our park guides? We're looking to add menu information for all restaurants to our Walt Disney World Park Guide (link). Send photos or scans of menus (no fair copying from other Web sites) to menus@mouseplanet.com (link). Please note that there is a 5MB limit on total attachments in a single email.

Pirate & Princess Update

Last week, we posted incomplete pricing information for the Pirate & Princess Parties being held on eight nights this summer. The general public prices that we listed last week$38.95 plus tax ($41.48) per adult and $32.95 plus tax ($35.09) per child ages 3-9are actually the advance purchase prices. Tickets bought on the day of the event will actually set you back $45.95 ($48.94) plus tax per adult and $39.95 plus tax ($42.55) per child ages 3-9.

Since they are not yet available online, tickets should be purchased by calling 407-W-DISNEY (407-924-7639).

Former Hyatt reopens as Orlando Sun Resort

The former Hyatt Resort on U.S. Route 192 near the main World Drive entrance to Walt Disney World has been newly-renovated and is reopening as the Orlando Sun Resort, part of the Lexington Collection group. The 1,000-room hotel has 22 meeting rooms with a total of 60,000 square feet of meeting space and many other amenities. The resort originally opened in 1972, one of the first hotels in the area to open after the construction of Walt Disney World.

Quick takes

Across-the-board price increases went into effect on May 5 for all fixed-price dining locations, including family buffets, dinner shows and character dining experiences.

Apparently Disney changed the schedule in the last two weeks while we weren't watching closely. This fall/winter's water park refurbishment schedule has flip-flopped, as the Walt Disney World Web site now shows Typhoon Lagoon closing for its annual refurbishment on October 28, and Blizzard Beach would now go second, after Typhoon Lagoon reopens.

Registration continues to fill quickly for the 2008 Walt Disney World Marathon and Half Marathon. The Marathon is at 60 percent of capacity, and the Half Marathon is at 85 percent of capacity. (Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge has been sold out for some time.) If you're thinking about running next January, it's time to stop procrastinating and sign up! [Read our WDW Marathon Guide.]

The Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft will be held at The Milk House at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex for the first time, on June 7-8. The event will be open to the public. The first day of the draft is scheduled to run from 2 p.m. until 8:30 p.m., and the draft will resume the next day at 11:30 a.m. and continue until it has reached its completion. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays own the first selection of the Draft.

The National Basketball Association's Pre-Draft Camp is returning to Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex for the second year, from May 29-June 1. The camp annually invites top NBA Draft prospects to work out and be evaluated by league coaches and executives. The draft will take place on June 28 at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

March of Dimes fundraising goes over the top

I thought that I had written my last about my WalkAmerica fundraising for the March of Dimes a couple of weeks ago with the wrapup following my walk, when I noted that we had managed to come within $300 of reaching our $4,000 goal. Little did I know that your generosity had yet to run its course. Thanks to a series of late donations, I am thrilled to say that we have raised $4,025 this year! A huge thank you again to everyone who donated!

All-Star Music Resort  Refurbishment of the Calypso pool is underway. The accessible chair lift and transfer station will be replaced, along with other general touch-up work. Similar work on the Fantasia pool at All Star Movies took about five months. In the meantime, All-Star Music guests may continue to use the "quiet" pools as well as the main pools at the other All-Star resorts. All buildings not containing Family Suites are being renovated between January and June.

Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa  Phase I's four buildings and Phase II's eight units are complete, Construction on the six buildings of Phase III is underway, with all six units expected to be completed in late 2007. The new buildings will comprise two additional sections, to be called The Carousel and The Grandstand. The two buildings in The Carousel have been completed, and the four in The Grandstand are well underway.

June 2008

Free dining plan is back for late AugustSeptember

Disney is offering a new free dining package for trips beginning August 26 through September 22. Minimum stay will be three nights and a minimum one-day theme park ticket per person is required to get the free dining package for the length of your stay. Just remember that this is during peak hurricane season, which is why Disney needs to offer this promotion to get people to visit the parks and stay on property. While the odds of a hurricane interrupting or cancelling your vacation are low, you may want to take advantage of the trip insurance offered by Disney, just in case. Packages must be booked by June 24.

Passholder and Florida resident rates

Annual passholders and Florida residents have discount codes for room-only and package stays for mid-April through late May, available for booking through the end of the promotional period, subject to availability. Passholder and resident discount dates are for most nights through May 24. Passholder rates start as low as $74 per night for value resorts, while Florida resident rates are as low as $79 per night for values. Full hook-up campsites for RVs start at $55 per night for passholders, $60 per night for Florida residents.

Hotel Royal Plaza offers discounts to MousePlanet readers

We'd like to welcome the Hotel Royal Plaza as a new MousePlanet sponsor. As part of our new relationship, the Royal Plaza has created a special offer just for MousePlanet readers! From now through the end of the year, anyone booking their stay through the MousePlanet Web site will receive discounted rates up to 20 percent off on all room types.

The completely-remodeled 394-room resort is located on Hotel Plaza Boulevard, just a few minutes' walk from Downtown Disney. Bus service to all Walt Disney World theme parks is included with your stay. Their Giraffe Caf restaurant, Giraffe Tavern sports bar, Marketessen deli-style caf and Sips Pool Bar are ready to serve you. And children 10 and under eat breakfast for free!

And so we'd like to thank the Hotel Royal Plaza for joining the MousePlanet family, and invite you to try their hospitality.

Disney's Price Slice golf rates are back

Disney's popular summer golf discount program, Disney's Price Slice, will return from May 14 through September 27. During that time, a round of golf at any of the Walt Disney World courses will be less expensive after 10 a.m. daily, due to the heat of the summer season. The Magnolia, Palm, Eagle Pines and Osprey Ridge courses will carry a fee of $55, while the Lake Buena Vista course will cost $45. Rates include the use of an electric cart, and are $34-$44 cheaper than regular rates.

The rates include the use of an electric cart and are discounted from the before-10 a.m. prices of $99 for resort guests/$109 for day visitors (Magnolia and Osprey Ridge), $89 for resort guests/$99 for day visitors (Palm and Eagle Pines) and $79 for resort guests/$89 for day visitors (Lake Buena Vista). To reserve a tee time, call 407-WDW-GOLF (407-939-4653) or go to the Disney Golf Web site (link). Note that the site's front page still appears to have difficulty with browsers other than Internet Explorer. Once you get past the front page, you should be all right.

Magic Your Way ticket price guide

Walt Disney World's entire ticket price structure changed as of January 2, 2005, to the new Magic Your Way passes, and prices increased on January 1, 2006, and again on August 6, 2006. Advance purchase discounts are only available on tickets above the base ticket of at least 4 days, with higher discounts on those tickets with both options. Prices do not include 6.5% Florida sales tax.

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MousePlanet is not associated in any official way with the Walt Disney Company, its subsidiaries. or its affiliates. The official Disney site is available at www.disney.com. This MousePlanet Web site provides independent news articles, commentary, editorials, reviews. and guides about the Walt Disney Co. All information on this site is subject to change. Please contact destinations in advance to confirm the most up-to-date information.